The team of Bert Vogelstein, M.D., of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at John Hopkins and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Bernard Levin, M.D., of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston, has discovered a new method of testing genetic material from fecal samples to determine if a person has colorectal cancer or the pre-malignant lesions that often develop into colorectal cancer.

“This is a tremendous advancement of the science, and exactly what we had in mind when we started the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance,” said NCCRA co-founder Katie Couric. “This test will certainly make it easier to catch this disease early and prevent the hundreds of thousands of needless deaths caused by colon cancer each year.”

“We said we would literally push science forward and we have, less than two years after our launch,” said NCCRA co-founder and renowned cancer fundraiser Lilly Tartikoff. “NCCRA’s purpose is to increase awareness, of which Katie has done a tremendous job, and to find better tests and cures for a disease which is more than 90% curable if caught early.”

The screening test could be offered to the public once large-scale validation studies are completed within the next three to five years. The test should be an improvement over currently available tests because it is simple to administer, does not require any dietary restrictions, and it provides results with a high degree of reliability.

“This new research gives us the hope that we may soon have a new, powerful and non-invasive way of detecting colon cancer,” said Lisa Paulsen, president and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), one of the co-founders of NCCRA. “If people get tested for this disease and catch it early, we could virtually wipe out this cancer.”

In its first two years, the NCCRA has raised more than $13 million for science and education. A majority of that funding has come from corporate sponsors such as Aetna, the Aetna Foundation, Bloomingdale’s, the Pharmacia Corporation and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

In addition to its commitment to research, the NCCRA has been credited for increasing public awareness and removing some of the stigma associated with discussing the disease. Co-founder Katie Couric broadcast her own colonoscopy on NBC’s TODAY show in March of 2000, and in October of 2000, the NCCRA held the first ever national run/walk for colon cancer awareness on the National Mall in Washington D.C. That event attracted more than 50,000 people and was followed by a live, free concert on the Mall by musician Paul Simon. Since its creation, the NCCRA has generated more than 4,000 media stories about colon cancer, and placed an estimated $40 million worth of public service ads in donated TV and print advertising space.

This March, the NCCRA will take additional steps to increase awareness and funds through a planned campaign with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). More than 5 million free education brochures about colon cancer will be distributed through more than 15,000 chain community pharmacies nationwide. Additionally, many participating stores will encourage customers to make a $1 donation at checkout to support NCCRA.

The NCCRA has also taken steps to move science forward in other areas by launching NCCRA’s Clinical Trials Resource Center -- the nation’s first non-governmental colorectal cancer research clearinghouse. Sponsored by Pharmacia and Pfizer, the center streamlines the clinical trial enrollment process and educates people about the role research plays in developing new tests and cures for the disease. Additionally, the Clinical Trials Resource Center seeks to recruit healthy people for participation in clinical trials, so researchers can learn why they aren’t developing colon cancer.

The NCCRA is dedicated to the eradication of colon cancer by promoting education, fundraising, research and early medical screening for the disease. The NCCRA was co-founded in March of 2000 by NBC TODAY show co-anchor Katie Couric, nationally known cancer fund raiser Lilly Tartikoff, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The Entertainment Industry Foundation coordinates the charitable giving of the entertainment industry and has donated millions of dollars to support charitable initiatives that address some of the most critical needs facing society.

Additional Contacts:

Vanessa Wasta Senior Media Representative Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins 410-955-1287 wastava@jhmi.edu	Allison Ruffin Senior Communication Specialist M.D. Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas, Houston 713-792-3363 aruffin@mdanderson.org	Steve Telliano NCCRA Coordinator Perry Communications Sacramento, CA 916-658-0144 steve@nccra.org
Marianne Flanagan Aetna 914-251-8616	Anne Keating Bloomingdale’s 212-705-2434	Cindy Russo Pharmacia 908-901-8581

For more information about Aetna Inc., please visit the company's website at www.aetna.com.